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Decatur Macpherson

Are you ready for the yummiest soup you’ve made all season? This is sort of a twist on a minestrone, in that we took the veggies and tomato base, swapped out a little something different for the noodles, and then added in something special that makes the whole dish sing. If that sounded a little vague, we’ll break it down a bit further…. The onion, celery and carrot in here aren’t revolutionary, but using orzo instead of egg noodles or penne pasta – that’s a switch that we can get behind. Plus, adding in tiny little meatballs as a way to boost flavor and protein is a huge win. They’re easy to throw together and are 100% our favorite part of the recipe.

While we love and frequently make some slightly-more-jazzed-up meatballs, throwing in minced onion, parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs and tons of seasoning – since there are so many other elements to this soup, all you have to do is roll up itty-bitty sausage balls. Sear them so they’re browned on all sides, then put them on a plate and sauté your veggies in any of the remaining juices. Then comes the standard sautéeing of the veggies, which leads us to the addition of the orzo. While technically a short-cut pasta, orzo is more similar to grains of rice than to traditional noodles. We chose it here because it makes the whole soup a little less cumbersome than one with long-cut noodles flopping around in it – no broth splashing around our plate (or on us)!

If you’re a fan of a nutrient-dense, protein-packed soup that strikes the perfect balance between being brothy and having plenty to keep it filling, this is our new go-to. We made such a big batch that we brought it to work the next day and our co-workers devoured it! Seriously, it tastes amazing and is great for you, ensuring you won’t be hungry 20 minutes after you leave the table. Grab yourself a loaf of garlic bread and get cooking!